Aníron
by ArienUdomiel
Summary: I have no excuse for this other than I think Nanuk dares me to write it. So, basically, PWP Bonanza style.


Adam Cartwright lay in his bed, reclining on two pillows and the blankets pulled to his hips. Light flickered from a nearby oil lamp, banishing shadows to the far corners of the room; a fire burned low in the small hearth, casting a faint tint of orange to the white walls. The occasional hiss from the logs only accented his deep baritone as he spoke in soft, intimate tones.

His right arm held Madeline to him, the soft curves of her body doing more to warm him than the fire, and her head resting against his shoulder. Absently running his fingers through her long tresses, he read aloud the story of Tristan and Iseult – his wife loved the tales of the long ago romance; and, if reading it to her made her happy, he was more than willing to oblige.

A long leg draped over his and she pulled in closer, beginning to trace distracting circles with the tips of her fingers across his exposed stomach. His muscles contracted with each movement, breath hitching in his chest, and he had to clear his throat before continuing.

"I put my body in peril of death and rid you of the beast and have so conquered Iseult the Fair, and having conquered her I will bear her away on my ship," he read, feeling a sigh flutter across his chest. The hand on his stomach stopped its maddening trek across his flesh for a moment before slim fingers dipped below the covers and moved lightly towards his left hip.

"Maddie, if you don't stop that, I'm not going to be able to finish," Adam said, glancing down into her face and flashing a roguish grin. He knew that, if she kept up what she was doing, their evening would certainly be more entertaining than reading about someone else's love life.

Another sigh and his wife turned her head to place a lingering kiss on his shoulder, while her hand never stopped on his increasingly sensitive skin. He couldn't hold back a moan as she let her fingers trail down his thigh before moving back up again to his stomach, the motion drugging his senses. Very deliberately, Adam closed the book and placed it on the table beside their bed, making a grab for her wrist when the circles started moving farther southward right along with the blood from his brain.

A few well placed tugs later had his wife stretched out above him; her legs sprawled on either side of him, trapping his legs. Longing stirred in him as he stared into her green eyes – their gazes locked and a wave of emotion swept through him, making it hard for him to get enough air into his lungs. Her dark locks spilled over her shoulders and into her face, brushing lightly against the hair on his chest. Reaching out, he tucked the curls behind her ears so that her oval face was framed by the tresses.

His mouth went dry, and his heart thudded against his ribs with desire and love. Mimicking her actions earlier, Adam traced along her cheeks and full lips, down her neck, and across the delicate framework of her shoulders and collarbone, watching the gooseflesh rise in response to his touch.

Adam leaned forward, inhaling the feminine scent of roses and beneath the essence unique to her. He wrapped his arms tightly about the slim waist and nuzzled the column off her throat, placing a gentle kiss behind her ear. Smiling to himself at the sharp gasp, he opened his mouth to nibble and draw delicately on the earlobe. Pausing to press a hard kiss on her lips, he continued across to the other ear.

"I love you – so much," Madeline whispered – her voice husky and arms twined about his neck; the sound caused him to flush with heat.

Adam pulled her head down to his and traced her lips with his tongue before sliding past her parted lips. The sensual rasp of her tongue against his made him clutch tighter to her, and – angling his head – he deepened the kiss. A whimper from the back of her throat sent waves of need through him, and he pulled back enough to pull her full lower lip between his, nibbling delicately at the tender flesh, before settling fully on her lips once again. The barest of pressures kept his wife's lips firmly in place as his right hand dipped below the hem of her nightgown, wanting to feel her skin against his.

Massaging his way back up her silky thigh, fabric bunched at her waist, the heat of her pressed against him caused Adam to harden further against the inside of her thigh. He let his left hand drift from the back of her neck, fingers splayed, and began a rhythmic meandering across the thin cotton. He was becoming lightheaded from lack of air but refused to let go of her lips, the taste of her more intoxicating than any liquor he had ever drank.

Adam was certain he was going to die from the pleasure of her in his arms. Every restless motion she made against him caused the cotton to rub delicately against his naked skin, and he felt the blood rush downward to pool in his groin. His hands, never ceasing their movements, glided across her back to her arms and back down to let his thumbs feather against the sides of her breasts.

Madeline broke away from his mouth, burying her head in his shoulder, her breath becoming more labored to match his. Her soft moans sent a shock of male satisfaction through him at the reactions he could cause in her.

"Adam, please," she begged, nipping at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. She used her tongue to soothe the abused skin before sucking the damp flesh between her teeth to draw on the pulse point. He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head, allowing her better access to continue her almost lazy assault on his neck. His hands fell to her waist, tightening on her hips as, with every pull on his neck, pleasure lanced through him.

He opened his eyes when he felt her shift against him and groaned as the gown was pulled over her head, exposing her pale skin; with a flick of her wrist, the garment was sent flying towards the end of the bed.

God, she was beautiful. Adam inhaled sharply at the sight she presented him with: face flushed pink with desire, skin beaded with sweat; eyes closed and lips parted slightly, gasping at the feelings buffeting through her body; hair and breasts dancing in front of his eyes.

Like a moth to a flame, he leaned forward and captured a pebble-hard nipple between his lips, swirling his tongue around the tip and trapping it against the roof of his mouth before sucking hotly on the soft flesh. The earthy taste of her made his nerves tingle in anticipation, making him want her in a way that caused his head to swim.

Madeline curved into him, holding his head to her breast, and he could feel her breathless gasps stirring his hair where she rested her head, cheek fretfully moving against his scalp. Moving his mouth between the gentle swells of her breasts, he placed a fierce kiss over her erratic heartbeat.

Adam felt the near desperate pull in the small of his back; and, holding her to him, he eased her beneath him, resting his weight on his forearms. The sensation of her breasts crushed against his chest caused him to burn at the desire flaming through him.

Looking down into her eyes, he braced himself on his left arm, and reached out a trembling hand to brush the tendrils of hair from her forehead and out of her eyes. He caressed a path down her face, pausing to trace a pattern against her throat before letting his hand cup the mound of her breast, pulling at the dark center, which made her eyes darken with longing.

"You're going to be the death of me," Adam murmured, capturing her mouth once more in deep kiss. He broke away moments later to trail kisses everywhere his hand had been moments before. Shifting lower, he took her right breast between his lips, drawing deeply on the stiffened peak as his right had continued to tug and roll its hardened twin between his fingers.

He let his right hand drift along the flat plane of her stomach, while his mouth moved to her left breast. Feeling the damp curls beneath his questing fingers, he parted the folds and found the tiny bit of flesh near the top, drawing light, teasing circles around the bundle before pressing long, firm strokes against her. His fingers glided lower, skimming the core of her, and then slipped inside. Slowly and deliberately, he pulled the digit out before pushing back into her. Madeline writhed against his hand, arching her back and crying out wordlessly, as he added a second finger and continued to circle the hard bit of flesh with the pad of his thumb. Lifting his head, Adam watched as her pupils dilated and tremors ran through her body. The tugging at the short hairs against his neck let him know he pleasured her, and he could ignore his own need no longer.

Adam positioned himself and slid into her, withdrawing as far as he dared before rocking back into the welcoming heat. Her inner walls clung to him as tightly as a glove. A primal sound escaped him when she locked her ankles in the small of his back, holding him to her. His arms became weak, and he collapsed further onto her and grasped at the sheets. Every instinct told him to drive into her fast and hard while what was left of his rationale wanted to go slow and draw out her pleasure.

"Adam, now – please, now," Madeline demanded breathlessly, her nails scorching down his back, leaving pleasure tinged with pain in their wake. He buried his head in her neck, sucking and lapping at the sensitive place just behind her ear, knowing it would cause her to buck and tremble against him. Instinct won over rationale, and he withdrew almost completely before sinking back into her. All thought was being driven from his mind as her soft body twisted below him, each frenetic movement causing such intense pleasure to flow through him that he could barely breathe.

He felt her fingers skim down his arms to his hands, and he laced their fingers together as his thrusts became more frantic. His world narrowed to his wife, desire racing along his spine and demanding release; with every thrust, her breasts rubbed against his chest, feeling so good it hurt. Pulling himself farther above Madeline, Adam changed the angle of his thrusts, making them shorter and deeper.

Running his open mouth across her skin, he plunged his tongue back to mate with hers, imitating the pounding of his hips; and he swallowed the screams of gratification from Madeline. She pressed herself fully against him, meeting each of his thrusts, and he couldn't hold back the groans at the responsiveness of the woman in his arms.

When the muscles surrounding him spasmed, Adam threw back his head, the shout of satisfaction blending with Madeline's keening as his hip arched into her, hands clutching convulsively at hers fingers. His hips jerked spasmodically as white-hot pleasure blinded him, and he collapsed fully onto Madeline, panting breaths fanning across her shoulder. She disentangled their hands and began to rub long, calming strokes down his heaving back. In a dim part of his mind, he knew he was crushing her with his weight but couldn't find the energy to move.

Adam finally found the strength to move, and he placed gentle kisses on her forehead and closed his eyes before settling against her mouth to soothe her swollen lips. Her hands moved to hold him to her for a moment longer before he pulled away.

Lifting his head, Adam looked down into his wife's satiated eyes. He could see her lids beginning to droop and knew it would not be long before she succumbed to slumber. Rolling from her, he blew out the lamp next to the bed and tucked her against his right side, her head once again pillowed against his shoulder. Her whispered "I love you" caused his heart to skip a beat; and, clutching at her hand, he placed a kiss against her open palm before holding her hand to his heart. Madeline's breathing started to deepen and her body to relax as sleep pulled at her.

The orange hue from the fire burning cast deepening shadows around the bedroom, and as he lay in the quiet room, Adam pulled the tangled blankets up, wrapping his arms tighter about Madeline and resting his head against the damp hair of his wife. As he started to relax into slumber, he whispered, "Sleep well, Maddie. I love you, too."


End file.
